Cushion slide for furniture



Aug. 8, 1939. w F. HEROLD CUSHION SLIDE FOR FURNITURE Filed Aug. 26, 1938 INVENTOR. WALTER F Haamm ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUSHION SLIDE FOR FURNITURE Application August 26,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved cushion slide for furniture, particularly of the type comprising a metal floor engaging shoe, a rubber cushion body carried in said shoe, and attaching means disposed centrally of the cushion body for attaching to the furniture, such attaching means consisting of a socket engaging pin. nail, or the like, disposed in a central passage in the cushion body. In slides of this type the tilting movement of the furniture with respect to the slide, as well as side forces exerted upon the slide as the furniture is moved upon the floor, or against an obstruction causes the pin or nail to press against and distort the relatively small surfaced central passage in the cushion body with the result that excessive angular movement orside force is apt to permanently break or distort the rubber body, thereby causing loosening between the pin or nail and the slide.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby such tilting strain and side force will be distributed through an intermediate member to a relatively large diameter section of the rubber body substantially spaced from the central aperture. It is a further object to provide such an arrangement in which the central aperture will be protected against distortion by the intermediate member, such member including a circumferential vertically disposed confining wall which in addition to transmitting the tilting and side force to a large diameter area confines the rubber body immediately surrounding the pin or nail against distortion.

A further object is to provide such intermediate member which will provide a rigid domed bearing between the lower end of the furniture leg and the cushion body, which allows the leg to tilt without obstruction by the rubber body until it hits the body of the rubber. A further object is to provide a cushion body which will extend for a substantial distance beyond the upper edge of the side wall of the floor engaging shoe to form a cushion supporting means which will prevent contact between the furniture leg and the surface of the shoe upon excessive tilting of the leg.

Another object is to provide a cushion slide in which load is imposed upon a substantially cone-shaped area having a relatively wide base, the upper portion of such cone-shaped area being so confined by the bearing member that it is substantially incompressible and the load imposed thereon will not distort such upper portion but will be distributed downwardly through the grad- 1938, Serial No. 226,847

ually widening lower section of the cone-shaped area.

With the above and other objects in view embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a cushion slide, according to one exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, of the type in which the attaching means consists of a split pin for engagement with a grip-neck socket member.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the slide attached to the furniture leg, the socket being shown partially in section and partially in side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the leg in a tilted position.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified form of slide in which the attaching means consists of a nail-like member.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the leg in a H tilted position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, particularly Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, the cushion slide, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention shown therein, comprises a circular cushion body ll] of rubber, provided about midway between its upper and lower surface with a laterally extending peripheral groove II, the peripheral portion of the rubber body beneath this groove being of semi-circular cross-section and constituting a plug section l2 adapted for interlocking insertion in the sliding metal shoe or base.

The sliding metal shoe or base [3 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly curved rim [4 into which the plug section I2 is adapted to be forced and expanded to thus interlockingly retain the parts together. In the assembled relation the upper inturned portion of the rim extends into the'groove H and provides an under support for the peripheral rim portion [5 of the upper section of the rubber body, the upper surface of the rubber body being convexly domed, as at l6, so that it gradually curves down from the central portion of the top surface to the edge of the rim portion l5.

A central vertical passage IT, for the attaching pin, presently to be more fully described, is provided in the rubber body and at its lower end the lower surface of the rubber body is provided with a circular recess i8 for receiving the head of the pin. The pin i9 is of a common type employed in slides and consists of a length of semi-circular cross-section wire bent upon itself, the lower portion adjacent the upset head 20, and which is disposed within the passage ll being brought together in parallel contacting relation and the upper portion above the slide being spread outwardly to form two spring legs, these legs being provided at their lower ends with outwardly bowed enlargement portions 2! and being provided at their upper ends with outwardly bowed enlargement portions 22. A washer 23 is engaged with the pin above the head 20 to engage the upper surface of the recess I3 over a wide area. As shown in Fig. 3 the pin is adapted to be inserted in a grip neck type of socket 24 having a convergingly tapered upper spring end, split as at 25, and whichis inserted in the bore 26 of the furnitureleg 21, this socket having secured to its lower end a base plate 28 having a toothed flange 29 adapted to be driven into the leg to secure the socket in place.

The upper portion of the cushion body is provided with a vertically extending circular groove 36, disposed in outwardly spaced concentric relation to the passage ii, the area 3i of the cushion body inwardly of this passage being dome-shaped at its upper surface, as at 32, and adapted to be capped and laterally confined by the bearing and confining member, presently to be more fully described.

An inverted cup-shaped and domed bearing and confining member 33 is provided with a central aperture "M which is engaged about the pin H! below the enlargements 2!, and is fitted snugly over the central area 3! of the cushion body, its vertically disposed circular rim being engaged in the groove 30. The area 3! is thus laterally confined and rendered substantially incompressible by the member 33 so that the central passage I! is protected against distortion either through tilting movement of th pin, or side forces directed against the slide, such as might occur during sliding of the furniture, and when the slide is forcibly moved against an obstruction. At the same time the diameter of the member 33, and the depth of its vertical rim is sufiiciently great, so that the strain of tilting and side forces and the resilient distortion of the rubber is distributed over a relatively large diameter area of the cushion body, the central confined area 3| remaining undistorted. In addition to confining the central area 3| of the rubber body the bearing member 33 prevents direct contact of the lower end of the leg with the rubber, and therefore the leg may be tilted without obstruction by the rubber body, and such as would occur if the rubber body were contacted directly and compressed by the leg. The arrangement is such that the load is supported upon a cone-like pedestal of rubber, the

upper portion or peak of which is confined in an incompressible state by the bearing and confining member 33.

In Figs. and 6 I have illustrated a modification in which the attaching means consists of a nail-like member 35 having a head 36 disposed in the recess l8, this nail adapted to be driven into the furniture leg. In this modification the rubber body and floor engaging shoe are shown as relatively smaller in diameter than that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and the bearing and confining member 33 is shown of relatively larger diameter. It will be understood that such variations in the size and proportion of the parts may be resorted to, depending upon the particular requirements of the slide.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cushion slide for furniture, comprising a cushion body of rubber or the like having central vertically disposed passage, a non-resilient sliding shoe engaged over the lower portion of said cushion body, attaching means for securing said slide to the furniture, contactingly engaged in said central passage of said cushion body and projecting upwardly therefrom and adapted to have tilting movement relatively to said shoe, and a bearing member disposed at the upper side of said cushion body having a central aperture contactingly engaged by said attaching means and a peripheral wall portion laterally enclosing and confining an upper section of said cushion body in laterally surrounding relation to the upper portion of said central passage contactingly engaged by said attaching means.

2. A cushion slide for furniture, comprising a cushion body of rubber or the like having a central vertically disposed passage and a gr ove extending downwardly from itsuppersurfaceinoutwardly spaced surroundingrelation to said central passage, a non-resilient sliding shoe engaged over the lower portion of said cushion body, attaching means for securing said slide to the furniture engaged in said central passage of said cushion body and projecting upwardly therefrom and adapted to have tilting movement relatively to said shoe, and an inverted cup-shaped bearing member disposed at the upper side of said cushion body having a central aperture ccntactingly en-- gaged by said attaching means and a downwardly extending substantially cylindrical peripheral wall portion engaging said groove of said cushion body and laterally enclosing and confining an upper section of said cushion body in laterally surrounding relation to the upper portion of said central passage.

WALTER F. HEROLD. 

